Entertaining Energies

I love bold and colorful artwork and when I create my pictures I use a camera and a computer. I enjoy using these digital tools to create a wide variety of pictures. All of my artwork start as photographs and then they turn into something else. My Macro photographs of glass art pieces are turned into colorful patterns and graceful abstracts. My offering today is a vivid example of what you can do with photography and photoshop and I loved ever second of its creation.

What I am wondering is why some people use the term “photoshopped” in a a derogatory manner? I find all sorts of interesting pictures and post them and share them on Facebook. Inevitably someone will comment “nice picture but it is photoshopped”. Why does it matter how the image came about if you enjoy it? So today I am pondering whether or not Photoshop represents something akin to cheating. If you use image manipulation software to create a surreal image is this somehow wrong. By making it something else did we destroy it or make it somehow less relevant?

I will propose that digital tools are just that. Tools. Every artist has tools that they create with and each successive generation will take something and make it into a piece of art. Ages ago artists would use plant dyes to create with along with any other available resources. Today we use the tools that we can and create what our hearts and souls will express. What do you think?

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7 Comments

Yes, I happen to agree with you. Digital photography, photoshop, corel, on-line editing programmes – they’ve all democratised the creative process and opened up art and photography to people who, a while back, would have had to look on from the sidelines. I use Photoshop, Corel, PicMonkey, BeFunky and Pixlr in creating my digital art and they’ve opened up avenues for me to create the images I see in my mind. Like you say, each generation works with different creative tools and they are all as valid as each other.

I believe that art is a passion. Whatever tools you use to create the art and desired effect are perfectly fine and acceptable. Photoshopped or not, whatever tools are available to you, are totally acceptable when creating beauty. There is NO ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ way according to ‘others perception’. If you have the brilliance to create beauty, then you go girl!! and you ARE a genius in all your art! It’s irrelevant how you make it, art is art. The Bushmen painted on cave walls with beetle dung! That too is art

However you create your art, it is art. No matter what tools you use, it’s irrelevant. Throughout the ages, various cultures have used whatever was at their disposal to create art. Beetle dung for the bushmen in Africa was one medium, and that was art! So, whatever is available at the time, to create stunning art, is perfect. Photoshop is gorgeous, especially for fat girls like me!! LOL I love your art, don’t stop the process!

About Omaste Witkowski

I am a freelance photographer, graphic artist and designer. I love Art and I love to create. Shapes and colors fascinate me and my passion and joy are to study all of them endlessly from dawn to dusk. You will find my artwork in a variety of Private Collections, Art Galleries, print publications and on various websites.